Collar and stiffener therefor.



Patented July 31, 191?,

WITNESSES M Alarww fikzel 4 TTORNE V8 MARCUS FINKELSTEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COLLAR AND STIFFENER THEREFOR.

Original application filed September 25, 1916, Serial No. 121,983.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Divided and this application filed March 13, 1917. Serial No. 154,426.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Marcus FrNirnLsrmN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Collar and stiffener Therefor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion, this being a division of the application for a collar and stiffener therefor, filed by me on September 25, 1916, Serial No. 121,983. r

The invention relates to soft shirt collars, and its object is to provide a new and improved collar and stiffener therefor arranged to support the neckband with a view to maintain the shape of the turn down portion and to prevent it from wrinkling, and to hold the neckband more or less out of Contact with the neck of the wearer to prevent perspiration from wilting the collar especially the turndown portion thereof. Another object is to permit of conveniently removing the stiffener from a worn or a soiled collar and applying it to a fresh collar while the worn or soiled collar undergoes the usual washing and laundrying.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of a soft turndown collar having a neckband provided with a pocket or recess open along the lower edge, a stiffener removably held in the said pocket, and fastening means for closing the lower edges of the pocket members at a point below the lower edge of the said stiifener.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate. corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the softturn down collar provided with a stiffener and with the parts shown in extended position;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and with the flap shown turned down; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the stiifener or shaper.

The soft shirt collar in its general construction consists of a neckband 10, a turndown portion 11 and a stiffener or a shaper 12 reinovably held in a pocket'or a recess 13 formed. in the neckband 10, The turndown portion 11 of the collar is attached along its upper margin to the upper margin of the neckband 10 by stitches 15 as is now generally practised in the manufacture of collars of this type.

The neckband 10 is made of several layers or plies and the layers are fastened together by stitches along the marginal edges, except the outermost layer 16 which is detached at its lower edge from the following layer to form with the latter the pocket 13. The pocket or recess 13 is thus closed at the ends and the top by the stitches which connect the plies of the neckband with each other, but the pocket or recess is open at the bottom to permit of conveniently placing the stiffener or shaper into position by way of this lower open end or removing the stiffener from the neckband. In order to hold the stiffener 12 in the recess or pocket 13 use is made of fasteners 17, preferably in the form of press buttons of the stud and socket type, for connecting the outermost layer 16 of the neckband with the next adjacent one. By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noticed that the fasteners 17 are below the lower or bottom edge of the stifiener or shaper 12 to securely hold the same in position after the recess is closed by the fasteners 17.

The stiffener or shaper 12 is preferably in the form of a skeleton frame made of celluloid, sheet metal, or other suitable material capable of flexing to conform to the shape of the neckband when the collar is used on the shirt. The stiffener or shaper 12 conforms approximately to the shape of the neckband, that is, its upper margin extends close to the upper margin of the neckband while the ends converge downwardly and inwardly, as plainly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. By reference to the drawings, it will be noticed that the pocket or recess 13 terminates at the inner ends of the usual buttonhole flaps 20 and 21 of the neckband so that the collar can be readily fastened in position on the neckband of the shirt without interference by the stiffener.

It will be noticed that the neckband 10 is kept stiff and the turndown portion 11 hangs down properly from the stiffened neckband and is hence not liable to wrinkle and as a consequence keeps its shape as long as the collar is used. By making the stiiiener or shaper 12 of thin, light, flexible material it does not exert any pressure on the neck of the wearer and it does not materially detract from the flexibility of the neckband itself. It will be not-iced that by stillening the nccliband the latter is held more or less out ot contact with the neck of the wearer and even if the neckband becomes saturated with perspiration the latter is not liable to penetrate to the tnrndown portion 11 and hence the neclrband maintains its shape and appearance.

Prior to lanndrying the collar the pocket 13 is opened along its lower edge by disconnecting the members of the fasteners 17 from each other to allow of removing the stiffener or shaper from the neckband. It will further be noticed that the stiffener can be readily inserted in the recess or pocket 13 of the neclrband after the collar is washed and laundried and fastened in place therein by connecting the members of the fastening devices 17 with each other.

Having thus described my invention, 1

band provided with a pocket open along the whole of its lower edge and terminating at the inner ends] of the button hole flaps,

a stitlener reinovably held in the said pocket, and fastening means for fastening together the lower edges of the pocket members at a point below the lower edge of the said stiilener.

2. A soft tnrndown collar having a neckband made of several. layers fastened together along the marginal edges except the outer layer which is detached at its lower edge from the other layers to form with the latter a pocket which is open its whole length and terminates at the inner ends of the bnttonhole tlapsya stiffener reinovably held in the said pocket. and fastening members detachably connecting the lower edge of the outermost layer with the other layers at a point below the lower edge of the said stiffener.

MARCUS FINKELSTEIN.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

